Monday, July 20, 2015

Dog Days of Summer

The good news is Amherst Police did not make a single arrest for drunk driving over the weekend. In fact, no arrests at all. The awful news is the rash of B & Es continues unabated.

Over the weekend businesses all along Main Street and some on adjacent College Street were violated by an intruder who used brute force to gain entry, kicking in doors or cutting screens then ransacking the place in search of valuables.

State Police have been called in to assist with crime scene evidence.

APD on scene 409 Main Street professional building Sunday afternoon

Small businesses hit include the Gillen building at 409 Main Street, Valley Frame Works, Dorsey Memorials, Jewish Community of Amherst synagogue, Kelly's Restaurant, and TIA Architect. To name a few.

As of this morning reports are still coming in to APD as small business owners report in to start their long work week. Made even longer now.

9 comments:

Anonymous
said...

These are all repeat offenders, arrested by APD and set free by judges who don't understand what it is like to be violated by these idiots! There are guide lines to put these low life away but they are let go time and time again.

We had eye witnesses to a couple kids/brothers who stole a laptop, cash and wallets, ipods and more from our house a couple years back.. APD got the perpetrators and brought them to court..Good work APD... Judge Michael Ryan pretty much rewarded them for being law breaking youths by making them pay only $200 for our nearly $1000 laptop they stole from us... WE never got the money either.. Never got anything back.. OH YES,, our judges sure know how to practice law.. They just can't read the law books.. I lost faith in our system many years ago.. Nothing shocks me anymore.. The judges today are pretty much political presents from previous family members in the system..Kids that work as interns in the DA's office become judges before your eyes.. Should I list the names that I know??? I'd love to,,but I don't burn too many bridges if I can help it.. I respect APD with all my heart, as they have done right by me on many occasions..

Sucks to have break ins. We have a local business and we to have been broken into recently, but did not report it. The hassle of the forms and time talking to police is not worth it. I have never reported a crime to the police they have solved, let alone cared about. We are not even making a claim because that will cost us more too. We suspect local kids based on the stuff taken and the manner of activity as they invaded our space.

I will say though, without a doubt, the endless taxes and regulations hurt us more than break ins ever could.....and they don't end, they are every day, on every transaction, often 5x over. At least the break in had a beginning, an end and had a fixed cost.

That being said, certainly some people locally could have been raised better, you can spot them because they get their money form people without asking permission.

If we reported our break in, and then the police found the person, and then they went court and were found guilty, and then they were forced to pay some restitution to the court as Alfred described and we were not paid back, I would be so frustrated and distracted at the system that it would simply not be worth it. The thought of using a crime to make jobs for police and judges and guards, but not pay back the person stolen from would be so so frustrating it would effect my ability to run my business. In addition to this I would have to had spent time helping them with an interview and perhaps a court appearance, I would have to make statements under penalty of law and take quite a bit of risk even being face to face with police....do not deny this. I will spend some time being under suspicion myself, as the police do their job and serve their best interest.

I also think that if the kids were to be caught, that the police will not help the person become a better citizen, they will just process them. The kids' parents wont care, they will slap him or her on the wrist. I think Amherst and Mass will continue their failed drug policies and if this was a drug related crime, it was designed by prohibition. Talking to the police that implemented the prohibition damage certainly wont help this either.

I think the action item is not for me to report this to the police, it is for parents (and I guess teachers since they do so much of the raising) to do a better job and stop creating criminals - help the police this way. I think telling you what I have told you here has more potential to help the community. I also think that the over-regulation of the economy which results in minimal opportunity for young ones does not help. We are focused on automating anything we can at the government's request, thus less sustainable jobs as a policy. Most of the excess regs that are ruining opportunity for those growing up are asked for by parents - the irony is astounding - parents indirectly requesting less opportunity for their children due to their own ignorance.

Report the problem to those that can do something about it...I just did...and you wont.